Darth Venal said:
Another problem with all this discussion about what the phenomena at the end of Empire is, is that we're evaluating it based on astronomical photography, which isn't really that reliable as it is rarely standard optical photography. However, that is the common conception of what interstellar phenomena look like, and perhaps the wisest choice artistically.

One of the physicists talking about it over on theforce.net says it can't be a galaxy because galaxies don't really look like that to the naked eye, which is what we're seeing in that scene. But he completely overlooks the fact that 99.9% of people sitting in a movie theatre won't have any idea that a spiral galaxy is substantially dimmer and actually pretty hard to see with the naked eye. Most of us think they're bright white (sometimes yellowish) with spiral arms around a bright bulbous centre, but that's not true.

Not that any of this matters a jot, as long as the image looks good on screen while not negatively impacting on the narrative.

My problem is, if we are to accept that a galaxy can be seen like that to the naked eye, then wouldn't that same galaxy be shown a LOT in all of the movies? It would be something you would always see if it were that close to the Star Wars galaxy, just as no matter which part of earth you're on you are able to see the sun.

However, as a forming star, it would only be visible if you were near it. Get far enough away and it can't be seen (or at least as noticeable) anymore. Sorta like seeing a car on the side of the road. Drive along far enough away and that car fades out of sight.

I hope I'm making sense... but that's why I choose to believe it is a forming star, and not some neighbor galaxy, billions of miles away, yet close enough to be in view from the galaxy where the story takes place.

EDIT: Nevermind... guess I should read the next page before typing up a reply.